My Maternity Portraits

Remember the maternity portraits I booked with Maggie Keegan Gross? It was when I was 36 weeks pregnant.

Well, we received them just before Luca was born and we think she did an amazing job! It was truly a special moment in our lives and when I have felt my most beautiful ever. We are so happy with how she captured this moment -- we will treasure these photos forever.



Please visit her website to see the rest of the photos - there are a ton more! http://maggiekeegangross.com

39 Weeks

Waiting. Doing. Breathing.

Waiting.

38 weeks!

My first week off work was really tiring. I think maybe I'm doing too much. I have to take it easy - especially since that's what my Dr. ordered. He's on vacation this week and won't be back until April 1! He basically said don't do anything that might trigger early labor. No heavy lifting, no jumping up and down, not even taking the stairs. Sigh.

So...here I am after a particularly packed day, even by my pre-pregnant standards. I'm pretty tuckered out.

I've been feeling more Braxton-Hicks so Sergio is forbidding me from even light shopping trips where I have to walk for longer than a few minutes. I'm pretty anxious about delivering without my Dr. (who we adore) so I will comply. Boo.

Poor Sergio might be even more tired though. He's really turned up the nesting to get the house ready in time for baby. Lots of heavy object organizing etc. he's moved his office, cleaned out the garage and basement. What does the basement or garage have to do with baby, you may ask? Well, to make way for the nursery, we need to clear out his old office, which meant we needed storage space. It's an exhausting and tedious process but so necessary. I really want to show you guys all his work but my laptop is on the fritz again. I'm posting this from my phone and it's not ideal, especially if I want to show photos.

Well, hopefully baby stays put and gives us a chance to pull ourselves together to meet him properly!

Happy Anniversary Love!

Today is our five year wedding anniversary! Though, we've been together for much longer. Like 14 years - wow. I don't think I realized that until just now. Sure doesn't feel that long.

Love this guy so much.

Photo from Maggie Keegan Gross Photography. Our maternity portrait session was so fun. The photos turned out beautifully. Can't wait to see the album Maggie is designing for us!

36 Weeks

Month nine has commenced. I can hardly believe it. But here we are, on the cusp of becoming parents. We're about to be charged with the life of another human being and making sure he is nurtured and nourished into a good person. I think maybe we're ready but then, who ever really is?

Here I am from last Sunday, day two of week 36. I donned the green baby shower dress again for my maternity portrait session.



I hadn't planned on having maternity portraits done but when I booked a newborn session for our little man to be, I thought, why not? It's my first pregnancy and (I know I've said it before,) this journey has been pure magic. Why not capture some of that magic with some nice portraits? We hired Maggie Keegan Gross, who I met through Betsy. We get to see the images this weekend and I'm so excited!

Here's a preview from Maggie's instagram feed.



Sergio snapped an in-action shot with his phone. The bed isn't really crooked. I think it's just the phone camera distortion.




It's also my final week at work before I go maternity leave. I've worked hard to ready my team for my absence and today, I managed to clear my inbox! Can I get a whoop, whoop!?



I'm looking forward to focus on nesting and getting ready. I'm also just so tired now. I feel really good overall but the sheer size of my belly is taking a physical toll. Not being able to stay comfortable in any one position and therefore sleep is, well, yawn. Hopefully I'll learn how to nap properly in the next three weeks.

Getting fancy

My baby shower was the perfect opportunity to get fancy. I suspect it may be a long time before I get so gussied up again so I made a conscious decision to relish it.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE the ritual of getting ready for a special occasion. Hanging up the dress, curling my lashes, picking out jewelry, being especially careful with eyeliner...it floods back memories of school dances and special date nights. All the celebrations I've attended. I think about the times I got ready with my sister or girlfriends. As my baby shower day approached, I found myself wishing I had a girlfriend with me at the salon. But they were all helping set up my shower! :) Now I'm glad I didn't. The leisurely morning was a gift that allowed me to quietly contemplate and enjoy the excited expectation and gratitude I felt for the day.

Have you been to The Dry Bar? If you haven't and decide to, it's worth springing for the floater scalp massage. Sooooo goooood. They offered me tea and cookies, and Devil Wears Prada was on. So it's pretty much girly heaven. They made my hair look so fancy. I pinned in new Ban.do flair I got just for the occasion. I took my time with my makeup. I slipped on a dress I spied for 50% at Letters from L.A.. I nearly squealed in the store fitting room when it zipped it all the way up.



Sergio told me I looked beautiful. (swoooon.....) And you know, I felt it. Sure the beauty tricks help but honestly, I just felt so incredibly happy to have arrived at this particular day.

My Baby Shower Preview

My baby shower was so beautiful and fun! I can't wait to see the official photos. Until then, here's a sneak peek!

I stole this first photo from Fabi's Instagram feed:

Babymoon

Sedona is absolutely beautiful. It was the perfect getaway for us to take a breath and a pause from our increasingly hectic lives. It was a place that allowed us to reconnect with what's real and true: nature and each other.



We took our time and never rushed. We slept in and meandered. We talked about the baby and our future. We casually picked out sights from the map, but were ok if we didn't make it. We delighted in the discoveries we did make.





I forget how vast the sky and earth is out in the desert. The famous fiery Sedona sunsets did not disappoint. No filter or color adjustments needed.




We stayed at the cheery Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale. The walls were a little thin and honestly thought the room could have been renovated with higher quality materials. But the grounds were beautiful and serene, and the service was absolutely impeccable. Also, our meal at the restaurant, Distrito, was DELICIOUS.




I selected a handful of souvenirs from a Sedona shop that carried rocks and minerals from all around the world. But we made sure to select what was local to Arizona. Chrysocolla, Desert Rose, and Peacock Ore to remind us of this special trip.


Full photoset here.

Happy New Year!

22 weeks

What a different a couple weeks make, huh?



There's no mistaking the baby belly now! Sergio sweetly told me over the weekend that he was "proud of my belly." Why? "Because our baby's in there." (swoon)


Last Sunday, we went to both Unique L.A. and the L.A. Autoshow. And then we spent the evening with some friends we hadn't seen in a long time. It was a very full day but so fun.

The day actually started right before 5AM. I couldn't get back to sleep because I'm starting to get uncomfortable in bed. I lay around for a while when I noticed Bonnie was up on Twitter! We quickly arranged to meet up at Handsome Coffee where Eggslut L.A. truck was going to be parked. Handsome is kind of hardcore about their coffee so no decaf was available. Luckily, we got the start time wrong for Unique so had the chance to stop in at The Parish where I got my decaf fix and a delicious biscuit with homemade jam.

Unique was really fun this year. I gave Bianca of Chaparral Studio a big hug and admired her sexy lady caves. I might even get a little pregger lady one for myself. ha. It was so fun to spend the day with B and Miss V but we had to jet over to look at cars. I felt bad dragging Sergio out of bed so early on a Sunday so promised we would hit up the Auto Show. Ended the busy day with a beautiful, cozy homemade dinner at our friends' house up on Mt. Washington and 3 different sorts of pie we picked up at Unique from I Heart Pies,

20 weeks

Halfway there! I know, I know, only pregnant people count time in weeks. 20 weeks means I just started my 5th month and it's a milestone.




We took these right before Friendsgiving at the Crook-Lee household - a completely delicious affair I might add. I was speaking with a mom of two during dinner and she described her first pregnancy as magical. And it struck me that it described what I've been feeling perfectly. Those special moments like hearing the heartbeat, seeing the ultrasounds, finding out the sex, feeling him move... it leaves me a little breathless with how much magic has been in our lives lately.

18 weeks

I'm actually at 19 weeks now. But this was only 5 days ago so still fairly accurate. Not that I haven't grown already - I totally have. I swear, there was an evening last week I felt double the size I did that morning.

Happy Halloween!

This time next year, we'll be holding our baby in these photos. eep!

Halloween 2011
Halloween 2010
Halloween 2009

Stretchy Pants

I tried on my loosest jeans this past Sunday morning and they did not fit! eeep! I mean, I could still zip and button but boy, it was uncomfortable and unattractive. So I went out and purchased a pair of maternity jeans. And you know what? I love them.

These jeans are like my stretchy pants a la Nacho Libre.



I contemplated a belly band but after seeing one in person and talking to the sales person (who was also pregnant), I decided on the jeans. I just knew I wouldn't feel comfortable with having my pants undone, even with the band. The jeans are supposed to be wearable throughout my entire pregnancy and even beyond while I work to lose the baby weight.



Inspired by a new pair of pants, I managed to put together a cute outfit.

• Shirt is vintage Sears label
• Vest is Guess from way back high school! 
• Of course, my favorite sparkly heart band.do pin holding it all together